The present invention relates generally to computer networks, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for monitoring information received by a user of a network.
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/839,237, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,104, entitled xe2x80x9cServer-Based Host Monitor,xe2x80x9d filed on Apr. 28, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/840,665, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,029, entitled xe2x80x9cServer-Based Kiosk Controller,xe2x80x9d filed on Apr. 28, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
In recent years, computer networks have grown very popular with computer users as a means of communicating and exchanging information. Such networks allow personal computer users to connect with each other, either directly or through a central communication point, and to exchange information by using a protocol common to each personal computer in each network. Corporations and businesses now commonly network computers used by their employees in xe2x80x9cintranets,xe2x80x9d which are networks that have limited access to certain persons and/or computers. Such intranets are often protected by elaborate security systems or xe2x80x9cfirewallsxe2x80x9d which prevent unauthorized users from accessing the intranet or retrieving internal intranet data. By contrast, the term xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d has been adopted to describe the publicly available network to which virtually every personal computer in the world has access. Recent improvements in the software available for accessing and searching the Internet have made the Internet a very popular source of information which can even be utilized by novices to computer technology.
Computers communicate on intranet and internet networks by the use of a common set of standards for exchanging data known as the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (xe2x80x9cTCP/IPxe2x80x9d). To initiate communication on such a network, a user, known as a xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d contacts another computer on the network, known as the xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chost,xe2x80x9d by using various publicly available software programs. In public networks such as the Internet, these programs use various protocols to organize information in a manner which allows the user to locate and access files of interest to the user. For instance, some files are organized by a hierarchical menu system known as the xe2x80x9cgopher.xe2x80x9d A user can search the Internet by linking from an Internet site of interest, or by entering the uniform resource locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d) of the file on the gopher which the user wants to review.
The most popular and user-friendly protocol for organizing information on the Internet has become the World Wide Web (the xe2x80x9cWwwxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cWebxe2x80x9d). The Web links information by associating items of interest through a common scripting language known as Hyper Text Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d), and transmits these HTML-based files between servers and clients using a common protocol known as the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d). A Web user searches the Web by starting at the user""s xe2x80x9chome page,xe2x80x9d which is created and operated with HTML. From the home page, the Web user searches out and retrieves information by using xe2x80x9cweb browserxe2x80x9d software. Web browsers allow a Web user to retrieve and render images and texts from files of interest to the user""s computer. Web browsers operate by allowing a Web user to identify a xe2x80x9cWeb linkxe2x80x9d of interest on a Web page and then execute the Web link to transfer the computer data associated with the Web link from the server or host computer containing that data to the Web user""s computer. Web links perform this transfer of computer data by communicating the URL of the desired file to the host.
The introduction of the Web with its easy-to-use browsers and the increasing availability of internet access service providers (xe2x80x9cISP""sxe2x80x9d) have each led to an increase in the usage of the Internet because each has made the Internet easier to access and use. Despite these improvements, the Internet remains a technical environment which is often difficult for a user to navigate. Users can easily become lost in xe2x80x9ccyberspace,xe2x80x9d making them frustrated and either unable or unwilling to use the Internet for commercial purposes. Accordingly, both users of the Internet and commercial businesses seeking to market goods and services through the Internet would benefit from any tool that makes the Internet easier to use and/or easier to learn to use. However, such universal tools are difficult to develop because of the wide array of hardware systems that access the Internet. In addition, the implementation of and instruction in such tools is difficult because Internet users are often geographically located a great distance apart, making face-to-face instruction impractical. This difficulty is compounded further by the variety of protocols and software available to access the Internet, and, when the user is accessing the Internet from an intranet, by the xe2x80x9cfirewallxe2x80x9d security systems in place around intranets.
One means for assisting a network user is to post a phone number which the user can call with questions when the user accesses a particular network site. However, a network user who has become confused enough to call for help is also often too confused to explain the problem or problems he is experiencing. To overcome this difficulty, the person trying to help the confused user can access the same network site as the user. However, this only allows the helper to view what the confused user should be viewing, and does not necessarily render the same computer monitor screen display as is rendered on the confused user""s monitor.
Known systems, often referred to as remote control systems, may allow a computer, referred to as a xe2x80x9cclient,xe2x80x9d to receive and render the same monitor screen data as is rendered by a separate computer, referred to as a xe2x80x9chost;xe2x80x9d however, such systems require additional software at the client and host computers, and also require compatibility between the client and host with respect to the hardware and/or software used by the client and host. Thus, in order to use these existing systems, the client and host must first exchange hardware and/or software data, as well as know each other""s network address. In addition to being complicated, these systems require considerable processing by each computer and are thus slow in use. Further, these systems require protocols that are not commonly used on public networks such as the Internet. Thus, corporate intranets that allow access to the Internet through gopher and HTTP protocols may not allow unrecognized system-specific protocols associated with the existing systems to pass through their firewalls.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a universal tool which simplifies the use of networks and simplifies the process by which network users learn to navigate networks.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for exchanging data between computers that is a powerful tool for using and teaching the use of networks in a simple and straightforward manner.
More specifically, the present invention allows a receiver computer to render the content data presented by a sender computer when the gender computer accesses a content server through an intermediate server. A control program loaded on the intermediate server directs the intermediate server to receive content data from the content server which the sender computer requested. The control program then directs the intermediate server to transfer the content data to the sender computer, thus allowing the sender computer to render the data which the sender computer would have rendered had it contacted the content server directly. Finally, the control program directs the intermediate server to transfer the content data to the receiver computer. The content data allows the receiver computer to render the same data that the sender computer has rendered.
The present invention provides an important technical advantage by allowing a receiver computer to render the same data rendered by a sender computer when that sender computer accesses a network through an intermediate server. This allows two geographically separated network users to simultaneously navigate a content server even if the network users have different types of computer systems and software. Further, the sender and receiver can use the present invention through an intermediate server""s domain name without exchanging sender or receiver IP addresses. Further, the present invention enables transmission to take place even if both sender and receiver are behind firewalls which allow transmission of data through widely-accepted protocols such as the Hyper text Transport Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d) and the File Transport Protocol (xe2x80x9cFTPxe2x80x9d), but which commonly prevent transmission of data using other less widely accepted protocols or proprietary protocols.